Managing Asthma In Your Home


Living in a dry and warm environment is good for everyone. For people with asthma it is especially important and there are other issues that are vital for them to stay well.

If you have asthma, or someone else in your home does, being aware and taking a few simple steps can help ensure that your home is a healthy place to live in. 

Asthma triggers

Knowing what triggers your asthma or makes it worse means you can try to avoid the trigger or take precautions before or at the time of exposure to risk. Often, it’s not just one trigger that sets off an episode of asthma but a combination of several triggers at around the same time.

Common triggers around the home include:

colds and flu viruses

cigarette smoke

 temperature changes

 household sprays.

Around three-quarters of people with asthma become wheezy in a smoky room. It has been shown that children with asthma whose parents smoke have more asthma symptoms than children whose parents don't smoke.

Fumes

Triggers in the air include cigarette smoke, factory smoke and car exhaust fumes, fly sprays, strong perfumes and aerosol cleaning sprays. Some building materials and home furnishings may give off fumes that might make asthma worse. For example, formaldehyde, common in particle-board.

What you can do

  • Try to find out, in a safe way, what triggers your asthma.
  • Always carry your reliever medication.
  • Seal particle-board floors, shelves, stairs, and household fittings with polyurethane or a low-allergy paint.
  • Ensure your home is well-ventilated so fumes don’t accumulate.

Allergies

Some people are allergic (particularly sensitive) to certain things they come into contact with daily. Many people with asthma may have hay fever or eczema. Hay fever causes itching, a runny nose and sneezing. Eczema causes redness and itching of the skin.

The most common asthma producing allergies are to:
  • house dust mites
  • animals (eg cats and dogs)
  • pollens
  • moulds
  • fungal spores
  • some food and drinks.

 

House dust mites


House dust mites are too small to see. They live off the flakes of skin we constantly shed. We all have them in our homes, in soft furniture and carpets and especially in our mattresses and pillows. Their waste products, which are tiny and float in the air, can provoke an allergic reaction when breathed in. This is very common.

Signs of allergy to dust mites include wheezing when you are vacuuming or dusting or when you enter a dusty room or house, or asthma symptoms during the night or first thing in the morning.

What you can do

  • Get bedding covers which provide a barrier. Most manufacturers of pillows, mattresses, bed bases and duvet inners use material which allows dust mite faeces through into the air. However, you can buy special barrier covers for these items (ask at your local asthma society or call Airflow Products - 0800 AIRFLOW or 0800 247 3569). If your asthma is triggered by house dust mite and you take only one step towards reducing exposure to them, this should be the one - it's the single most effective measure you can take.
  • Consider removing fitted carpet. This is especially worth considering in the bedroom.  Use rugs instead and vacuum them regularly.
  • Check out your vacuuming. Vacuum cleaners won't eliminate dust mites, but can reduce the number. Vacuum at least once a week, or, if you have asthma which is triggered by dust mite faeces, have someone else do it for you. Use vacuum cleaners with a micro-filter, an "S-class" filter, or an HEPA ("High Efficiency Particulate Air") filter system. Machines without these sorts of filters are more likely to re-circulate the fine dust mite faeces through their exhaust vent, back into the air.
  • Remember to vacuum your mattress weekly. If barrier covers are fitted these do not need to be removed.
  • If you use a vacuum cleaner that exposes you to the contents when you empty it, get someone else to do it for you.  After vacuuming, leave the house and allow the dust to settle for a half hour or so before re-entering.
  • Dust with a damp cloth every week. Avoid using a feather duster which just pushes the dust around.
  • When you do the washing, hang things in the sun to dry. Direct sunlight kills dust mites. Alternatively, if you use a drier, run it an extra half hour on warm after the contents are dry.  Air blankets/duvets weekly, if possible in natural sunlight.  Do the same with any loose rugs.

With young children

  • put soft toys in the deep freeze for 24 to 48 hours every three weeks. Use washable soft toys, and avoid fluffy toys where possible
  • avoid using sheepskins ( especially as infant bedding)
  • do not put young children on a bottom bunk where they will be exposed to dust mites from above.


Animals

Cats are the second major source of indoor allergens. A high proportion of New Zealand families have cats and the allergens they produce tend to stay in the house for long periods. They aren’t a good choice of pet for families with someone who has asthma. Other pets don’t seem to produce such potent allergens, but dogs, rabbits, guinea pigs and mice can cause problems in some people.

 

 



 

What you can do

Never allow pets into a bedroom and, if possible, keep them outside.
If you visit friends or family who have pets, take extra medication beforehand.  Ask them to keep the animal outside during your visit.


Moulds and fungal spores


Moulds and fungal spores are a source of indoor allergens.

What you can do

  • Keep the house as warm and dry as possible to avoid moulds.
  • Remove mould or mildew from walls, shower curtains, etc. with a fungicide e.g. very-diluted household bleach.
  • Air clothes, shoes and wardrobes regularly.